Objectives This study examines the effect on the frequency of Ramyeon consumption based on who checks nutrition labels and on the levels of sodium-related nutrition knowledge among middle school students in the Incheon area. Methods Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 359 students (143 males and 216 females) from May to October 2021. General information as well as Ramyeon-eating behaviors were surveyed. The frequency of Ramyeon consumption was compared depending on who checks nutrition labels and on the amount of sodium-related nutrition knowledge students have. Both X 2 tests and t-tests were conducted for categorical and mean comparisons. Results Regarding the consumption of Ramyeon, 46% of the students replied that they eat it alone at home. The criteria for choosing the kind of Ramyeon to eat were taste (79.4%), price (9.2%), brand and new products (4.5%), nutrition (2.2%), weight control (2.2%), and other factors (2.5%). When purchasing Ramyeon, more students replied that they did not read nutrition labels (66.0%) compared to those who did read labels (34.0%). Answers to questions on sodium-related nutrition earned an average of 6.84 out of nine points (males, 6.72 points, females, 6.91 points, ns). The average frequency of Ramyeon consumption was 1.67 times per week (males, 1.66, females, 1.68, ns). The frequency of Ramyeon consumption by students who checked nutrition labels was lower than for students who did not check labels (1.44 times per week vs. 1.79 times per week, P < 0.05). Conclusions Students who checked nutrition labels reported a lower frequency of Ramyeon consumption than students who did not check them. Education on checking nutrition labels may reduce the consumption of processed foods such as Ramyeon and may lead to making healthy choices when purchasing food.
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High intakes of sodium may increase the risk of hypertension or cardiovascular diseases. According to the 2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey, the average intake of sodium was 4,878 mg/day with salt, kimchi, soy sauce, fermented soybean paste and Ramyeon being the five main sources of sodium. In order to identify solutions to reduce the intake of sodium, we investigated the intake patterns and eating behaviors of Ramyeon among 347 college students (male 146, female 201) using survey questionnaires. The average age of study subjects was 23.7 years for males and 20.5 years for females. The average Body Mass Index (kg/m2) was 21.9 for males and 20.1 for females. The average frequency of Ramyeon intake was 2.0 times/week. The main reason for eating Ramyeon was convenience (56%), followed by good taste (27%), low price (11%) and other reasons (9%). The criteria for choosing Ramyeon were taste (72%), convenience (14%), price (7%), nutrition (1%), and the other factors (2%). Males' average intake of Ramyeon soup (61%) was higher than that of the females (36%). The estimated intake of Ramyeon soup by survey showed a positive correlation with the measured intake of Ramyeon soup. Sodium contents of Ramyeon were measured separately for the noodles and the soup, which were 1,185 mg/serving and 1,148 mg/serving each. Therefore, the amount of sodium intake can be reduced if students eat less Ramyeon soup. Also, we observed that dietary behaviors and soup intakes of Ramyeon between the sexes were different. Appropriate nutritional education for proper eating habits may help decrease the intake of sodium.
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In order to investigate the ramyeon intake patterns, food value recognition, and their effects on blood pressure and blood lipid levels, a total of 385 male students aged 13-15 years living in rural area were sampled randomly, and they were surveyed using questionnaire. Blood pressure and fasting serum lipids levels of 123 subjects selected among the total were determined. Of the total subjects 80.3% either liked or liked very much ramyeon and 42.2% of them were eating ramyeon from 1 to 2 times a week,21.1% 5-6 times a week, while 11.7% more than once a day, and 13.1% less than once a month. They took ramyeon from one (56.8%) to two (25.4%) packs each time. Two-third of subjects consumed entire ramyeon soup or more than half of it. Mostly they added egg or onion to ramyeon and took along with kimchi, cooked rice, danmuji, or dried laver. The food value recognition score about ramyeon was 41.33 out of 100 full grade. Comparing to underweight or normal weight subjects, overweight students tended to take ramyeon more frequently when playing with friends and tended to consume less soup of ramyeon. There was a significant negative correlation between ramyeon intake frequencies and HDL-cholesterol levels (r=-.223 p < .05). Moreover, among the normal body weight students (n=72) adjusted with relative weight, ramyeon intake frequencies showed not only a significant negative correlation with HDL-cholesterol level (r=-.244 p < .05), but also significant positive correlations with atherogenic index (r: .249 p < .05) and systolic blood pressure (r: .259 p < .05) . These results suggested that frequent intake of ramyeon with limited sidedishes as a whole meal might have negative influences on blood pressure and serum lipid levels. Nutrition education is needed to have correct food value recognition and proper consumption of ramyeon along with the balanced diet.